Into The Flames
by True-Sasuke-Girl
Summary: Sorin Kagura,the Akatsuki spy, is sent to Konaha to get info on Naruto. There she meets Sasuke. He turns her world upside down and her long love for Itachi is challenged. Now she is the only one who can choose who lives and dies but who does she love more
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer- I'm not suicide. (If you were wondering) I do not own Naruto or it's characters but the story line, Sorin,and her jutsu are mine! This story was inspired by the Back Street Boys song "I'll be the one".

Read, Rate, and Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 1

I stood on top of the hill looking over the moonlit village. The wind rustled my Akatsuki cloak and blew my long brown hair into my eyes. I tucked a strand behind my ear and looked at the ninja to my left. He was still looking at the leaf village below us with his dark eyes.

"You know your mission, are you ready Sorin?" he asked me in his deep intoxicating, emotionless tone.

I shut my eyes not wanting this to be our parting. "Yes. This isn't my first time if you'll remember Itachi."

"This time will be different. You should be resting you'll need all your strength in the morning."

I sighed. "You know I sleep as much as you do lately. The nightmares haunt me ever more strongly with each day sapping the strength from my waking mind. The village's defenses are low anyway after Orochimaru's attack. I'll have all my strength sleep or no sleep."

"They may see you as a threat. You need to be ready." He placed his hand on my shoulder and I looked into his face. The same feeling I always got when Itachi touched me came back as strong as ever.

_Itachi_ Just thinking his name almost made me slip up. If he noticed those feelings I might be treated to another helping of Tsukuyomi. I had slipped up several times before and had no wish to repeat the experience.

I buried my feeling at his touch. No matter how much I enjoyed it I couldn't let it show. I cared about him in a way I didn't care about anyone else. He has saved me from killing myself on several occasions and had taught me how to control my jutsu since I had joined the Akatsuki.

I am only thirteen but I had been made a full Akatsuki member at the age of nine. I am their spy. I infiltrate a village and find the jinjurkis in them. It is very dangerous not only for me but for the village as well. My jutsus are very powerful and sometimes I have trouble controlling them. That's why Itachi was assigned to me; his sharingan is strong enough to stop me when I start losing control.

Itachi's cold eyes met mine and I was almost lost in his gaze. It struck me powerfully that this was the village he grown up in. He had found his power and killed his family here.

It made me wonder and I couldn't help but ask, "Do you ever miss your clan?"

He looked back at the village and said in a cold tone, "No, They were obsessed with our bloodline and didn't see the great power we could attain. They were weak."

I was unable to take my eyes off him. Itachi was dangerous but he had something about him I couldn't help but be attracted to. He wore his Akatsuki cloak like a shroud of darkness making him even more mysterious. He was so interesting to me and I couldn't figure him out. He had a way of entrancing me like moth to light but he never seemed to feel any emotions. Sometimes though I swear I see emotion in him it just passes too fast to recognize.

He closed his eyes and when he opened them they were glaring red. He looked down at me again; his sharingan swirled in mesmerizing circles. For a second I thought he might have noticed my emotions but then my vision started to fog and my body seemed to be becoming heavier. He was putting me to sleep. That was one of the many great and terrible powers of his sharingan.

"Come on Itachi that's not fair." My words were slightly slurred and I looked away shaking my head to clear it. It didn't help.

I tried to push him away but my limbs were so heavy I barely pushed myself an inch from him. I swayed and fell into him for support resisting the sleep he was forcing on me.

He gave a small humorless laugh then leaned over a little to whispered in my ear, "Well you're lasting longer than last time," I looked up at him smirking tiredly as he continued, "But it's still not enough."

My body went limp as I tried to stay conscious. He grabbed me before I fell and picked me up to take me back to camp. It took him no effort at all like I was no heavier than his cloak. I moaned in protest but leaned my head against his chest all the same. It was so warm and comfortable in his arms I almost gave over to sleep.

"I'm stronger than that." I complained groggily trying again without success to push away even if I wanted him to keep his grip.

"If you're so strong then why are you so weak in my arms?" he whispered in my ear again.

"You got to give me more credit than that." I muttered reproachfully, "Still conscious."

"You need to sleep Sorin. Your mission is to get in the village and you need to be alert." his voice was firm with the same emotionless tone as ever.

"Fine if you insist."

Still looking at his entrancing sharingan I struggled to stay awake. I didn't want to sleep while Itachi carried me. I wanted to soak up every bit of him I got before my mission. It was going to be long and times alone with Itachi like this were few and far between. I breathed in his sent. He smelled as always like woodland with the underlying hint of blood from his last fight.

_Itachi do I matter to you like you do to me?_ I wondered as my eyes started to become too heavy to hold open any more,_ Maybe someday... If I can get you enough power you will look at me like I'm important to you. Maybe after that you will... Not now I have a mission to do for Itachi._

"Tomorrow then…" I whispered into his cloak and gave in to the oblivion.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

I was standing in a forest clearing not entirely certain how I'd gotten there. _I think I know this place._ I thought.

It was a glorious day, completely cloudless and perfect temperature. The sun was behind the trees in front of me casting long, leafy shadows on the ground at my feet. It looked and felt so familiar to me but I didn't understand why.

Something rustled behind me and I turned on the spot; quick and graceful as always. Itachi was there walking towards me. He looked the same as always, amazingly enticing. His hair caught the light as he stepped out of the cover of the canopy making his beautiful black of his hair shine. My heart rate sped up. I was so stunned by the beauty of the effect I couldn't move or speak.

He was only a few feet away now still walking right at me looking into my eyes with his usual expression. His cloak was open showing me his face and the top half of his shirt.

Finally getting my grip I asked him, "Where are we Itachi?"

He didn't answer me. He was only a foot away now.

"Itachi?" I asked uncertainly, "Did you hear me?"

He stopped so close to me I feel his cloak rustle against me as he raised a hand slowly to my face. I didn't move back even if he was going to hurt me I wouldn't have. He was so close. I looked at him questioningly wondering what he was doing and loving how close I was to him. He put his hand on my face cradling it. I put my hand to his to keep it there leaned into it closing my eyes in joy. I felt him raise his other hand and stroke my hair. I opened my eyes and looked up at him slightly startled by his sudden show of affection. He looked back at me and I could have sworn his face had softened and there was an emotion I had been waiting my whole life to see in his eyes. I stepped forward and closed the small distance between us. He moved his hand from my hair and slid it around my waist pulling me even closer. I leaned my head against his chest listening to his heartbeat, my head resting near his necklace. I closed my eyes again my heart beating abnormally fast.

Suddenly I couldn't hear his heart anymore, feel his hand caressing my cheek, or his cloak against my skin. I opened my eyes looking around surprised and saw him in mid leap with his look of calculation in a battle.

_What did I do?_ I thought bewildered.

I suddenly became aware of other presences around us. Ninja ready for battle. Wanting to protect Itachi and kill whoever had ruined the moment I made fast hand signs "Element Devastation!" The barrage of elements flew all around me and straight for Itachi.

"NO!" I shouted trying to stop the attack but it was no use. An invisible barrier seemed to be all around me preventing any movement at all.

He turned throwing a kunai at me as he jumped back. The kunai was blocked by a column rock shooting right at him. He leaped to the side barely dodging it as a tongue of flame shot at him. He knelt on the ground and gave me a look I had never seen him wear before, angry and overpowered.

I suddenly realized it had been me had jumped from not the unknown ninja. _Why is this happening?_ I thought not able to shout or move. _And if they weren't here to attack us who are these ninja? _One leaped at me dodging a current of wind bent on tearing her apart and I saw it was my cousin, Alita. This was the same way she had jumped at me before she died. Just like the first time she was ripped apart from behind by the air current she had just avoided.

There was a shout then out of nowhere my father and mother ran forward trying to stop me and protect my brother with their element jutsu. The rest of my family joined, attacking and defending but it was all no use. By this point I had all the surrounding area demolished and the remains burning. The entire scene was mass confusion but my eyes found the one that I had tried to protect.

Itachi was dodging and trying to stop me with his sharingan but he was slowing down. He dodged another flame but a tidal wave came to meet him crashing upon him with tremendous force. Soaking wet he tried to stand but before he had done more than get into a kneeling position A high wind came up and tore at him like a thousand kunai. He fell again but this time he didn't get the chance to raise himself, a jagged rock came up from below him and drove itself straight threw his heart. He looked at me in anger and disbelief. Blood dripped down his face and the rock implanted in his skin was stained red. He coughed up a red stream and the light faded from his eyes as his body slumped forward.

"NO!" I shouted again trying in vain to move and go to him; to stop the destruction of everything I cared about.

I had to watch again as everything that ever mattered to me was slaughtered by my own hand. My Mother was knocked into her own kunai by a gust of wind, my father burned to death, my little brother thrown behind a charred stone wall and followed by a wave of water, and the rest of the clan were killed protecting each other from the very monster they had created.

_Why is this happening to me?_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

I woke with a start disoriented and breathing like I'd just run across the entire continent and back. A bird crowed somewhere nearby as I looked wildly around searching for Itachi and my family. The wreckage and bodies were nowhere to be seen and nothing in the forest was out of the ordinary.

_Just a dream_ I thought to myself relieved flopping back down to look up at the leaves overhead.

The forest was calm and peaceful. The sun was low in the east, just barely risen, shedding weak light threw the cover of the surrounding forest. It illuminated my pack and the obvious absence of my Akatsuki possessions. My cloak and ring were both gone. Itachi had probably taken them with him. I could not have them with me or I would be discovered too easily.

The bag I always used on missions to carry my stuff and prove my identity, was leaning against a tree. I picked it up and opened it. Itachi usually was very good about getting everything I needed but I had to make sure. There was a supply of weapons, clothes, money, and food in it along with the usual letter Itachi had forged from the last village. I didn't bother reading it, knowing what it would say. Instead I grabbed an outfit from the top. It was my usual, the Kagura clan wear, red sleeves t-shirt, short black shorts, with my kunai holder and shuriken pouch.

I packed up and looked around making sure I hadn't forgotten anything. A piece of paper fell out of my pocket as I turned to leave. Stooping down I picked it up. It was a picture of Itachi looking over his shoulder at something while someone took it from behind a rock. A target picture. I had gotten it from the Hidden Stone Village. He had meant for them to catch him on film or the person would not have lived to deliver it to the village or manage to get that close to him.

I smiled down at the photo and traced his features with my finger. I started off placing the snapshot back into my pocket remembering how fun it had been to fight Itachi and the success of that mission. It had taken nearly four months before to gather all the info we needed to get our prize. Admittedly I didn't need anymore strength but it did feel amazingly satisfying to gain more from the daemon inside the boy. Almost as good as Itachi's touch. Almost.

* * *

With one strap of my bag over my shoulder, I walked along the path to the village slowly wanting to make myself seem like less of a threat in anyway I could. It would be more difficult than usual to get in considering the recent events the village had just gone threw. Orochimaru's attack along with Itachi and Kisame's failed attempt to take Naruto they would be even more suspicious of new comers.

_Those Idiots letting him get away. I can't believe both of them were nearly defeated. I expect it from Kisame but Itachi... This Juraiya must be pretty good for an old man._ I thought as the gates came into view.

I sensed the ninja lurking in the trees as I approached._ Only three I'm insulted._ Their chakra was well developed and my guess was they were skilled high ranking ninja. _Still easy enough to take out if necessary but I'm here to get in not fight. _I reminded myself surreptitiously._  
_

The three anbu black ops jumped out in front of me apparently trying to surprise me. They were all alert for signs of a threat. I stop giving them a friendly smile that did nothing to dissipate the tense air around them.

The middle one in a cat mask asks, "State your business here."

"I am Sorin Kagura the last of the Kagura clan, a traveling ninja. I heard Konaha was low on ninja and wished to help." I replied persuasively.

They looked at each other and nodded, "Come we'll take you to lady Hokage." and escorted me into the village.

* * *

_These Anbu are either idiots or they have a very elaborate trap going here. _ I thought as they took me threw the streets of Konoha. _Or their more desperate than we thought. All the better for me._

We pasted stores, restaurants, and many inhabitants who gave me curious looks as we past. It must be strange to see a thirteen year old girl being escorted by three Anbu and looking like it was no big deal. It was however a big deal. Why were three Anbu waiting at the gate for me? Maybe they had seen Kisame or Itachi in the area. That didn't make sense though, why would they let any outsiders in if they knew a potential threat was lurking nearby? I looked threw potential reasons as a large red building loomed overhead.

The Anbu stopped outside and I pretended to look around at the village like a tourist while really watching them and looking for escape routes if necessary. They looked at each other, nodded, and one jumped away up the building.

"This way." the Anbu in the cat mask said.

I pretended I had only just realized they had moved. The cat masked one walked in while the other waited until I had entered before following. _I do hope they don't think that will throw me off._

They took me down several hallways until we reached a door that the cat masked knocked on.

"Come In" a commanding female voice sounded from in the room.

"Thank you Lady Hokage." he opened the door bowing respectfully, "We have someone to see you."

He stepped aside and I walked in. It was a large circular room with wooden desk facing us and windows along the back wall. Behind the desk sat a blond kuniochi who, I knew from my mission briefing, was the Sanin Lady Tsunada. Standing beside her chair with a pig in a jacket was her black haired maid Shisuna. The third anbu member was already in the room.

"Lady Hokage," I bowed respectfully, "I am Sorin Kagura, a traveling ninja and I heard that the leaf village was short on shinobi at the moment so I have come to offer my service. I come at no prise. I simply would like food and shelter in exchange for one more shinobi to help the village until the village has regained its strength."

Shisuna gasped,"Wait you mean you are one of the Kagura clan that was wiped out five years ago? I thought they were killed by one of their experimental jutsu, we were told none of them survived."

I flinched both at the memory, still fresh in my mind after all these years, and at being called an experiment, no matter how true it was. I allowed a small amount of pain to enter my voice, "Yes they were murdered, everyone but me. Its not something I like to talk about." That was absolutely true I was the only one and I didn't like talking about it.

"Hmm, we could use more shinobi." Tsunada muttered to herself clasping her hands on the desk in front of her, "If you are skilled enough. How old are you anyway?" she asked me.

"I am thirteen but I have trained in many of the hidden villages in my travels and have been loyal to each. It shall be no different here."

"Very well then but you shall be assigned to squad seven. You will meat your squad and your new sensei, Kakashi, tomorrow at the training ground. Here is a map of the village," she threw me a map that I snatched one handed from the air, " the details of were you will be staying are on there. You are dismissed."

"Thank you Lady Hokage for your kindness." I bowed again and walked out.

The Anbu started speaking in whispers as soon as I closed the door, "Are you sure this is wise?"

"What if she is one of Orocimaru's?"

"If she is the last of the Kagura clan we might have let a threat into the village."

Tsunada answered curtly, "Get Kakashi over here we don't have any available ninja so he'll have to watch her for now."

"Right Lady Hokage" One of them replied with the hint of doubt still plain in his voice and they left.

* * *

_Not too bad._ I thought as I stepped into my new apartment.

It had only the essentials nothing fancy. A nice bed, a kitchenette, and bathroom.

I got to work emptying my backpack. No point in looking like I was ready to leave at a moments notice even though I was.

Deciding I should take stock of my weapons I lay them out on the bed. I have nearly two-hundred-fifty. That was a lot less than I usually had but without my cloak to carry them and wishing to look like no threat to the village Itachi had taken most of them. I pick up one kunai in particular. Its covered in blood long dried. Her blood. Unwelcome the memory comes back to me strong as ever like it had just happened.

_I collapsed on her lifeless body sobbing and yelling for her to wake up. Its too late she is already gone. I pull the kunai out of her chest with my blood soaked hands. "Mother I swear that on the day I die this kunai will carry my blood to atone for what I have done to our clan."_

Overcome by the memory and the the screams of my dead clan members I raised the kunai to my throat pressing it into my skin just wanting the pain to go away.

Itachi's face on that same day came to the forefront of my mind clear as a bell.

_"Look at you. Sitting on the ground crying over a corpse. You almost make me pity you. Come with me and your ability will not be wasted. If join us your clan will not have died in vain."_

"I am sorry mother,"I whispered as I lowered it, "I live today for Itachi. To help his cause. One day when he has gained his power I will be killed by this knife. Until that day comes I live for Itachi."

I put all my weaponry back were it belonged and put my mothers kunai in it's holster with the rest. _One day mother one day soon._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

I left a little early for the training grounds to take a look at the village. It was in pretty good shape so far. _The villagers must have been working their tails off doing repairs._ Thought glad I wouldn't have much in the way of construction. The guard was minimal and Lady Tsunada was right they didn't have anyone to spare for anything. Everyone seemed to be doing as much as they could manage at one time. There was a ninja I walked past carrying a stack of paper almost as tall as he was and trying to read what looked like battle strategies making marks on it with a pen held in his teeth as he wobbled along.

_Pretty peaceful place though. I almost envy Itachi for growing up here._ I thought of how my family used to live. Mostly in a small cluster of houses they built themselves in the middle of a dense wood. It wasn't too bad but this was a real home. A village to call your own and protect with your life. That was what I had wanted all those years ago.

* * *

_"Well Sorin what is it?" The eldest of our clan, Kiada, spoke to me in his raspy old voice that still retained some of his old authority.  
"Well I..." my mouth was so dry but I had made my decision that morning I would make my request, I swallowed an started again, "I want to join a village of my own."  
"You wish to do what child?" the old woman next to Kiada, Ana, asked in her light kind tone like I was asking why chakra was so important.  
"I want to join a real village ma'am. I am strong enough and I want to be of use not just learn the jutsus for nothing."  
"You aren't learning for nothing dear you are a great tribute to our clan. We would not have learned this much without you. You are the most important resource to our clan."  
"A resource is that all I am? I want to do something with my life and help protect what matters to me-"  
"Quiet Sorin." Kiada interrupted firmly, "You will do as you are told and learn the jutsu without complaint. It is far too dangerous to let you out of our sight especially if you plan to use your jutsu elsewhere. We saved your life to make you the strongest of our clan you should be more grateful. Now mind your tongue and get back to training."  
"All I want is to join a village. Why is that so wrong?" I shouted at them.  
"Because you are still dangerous. We don't yet know what the__ effect the__ jutsus will have on your body. It could take over your body or turn on you. There are too many unexplored avenues to let you go now."  
My hands were balled in fists and I was shaking with rage. How could this old man sit there and take away my choices. I was not some experiment. That sick old man. I was only eight but I was far stronger than he or any of our clan. How dare he oppose me._

* * *

I blocked out the memory as my hand twitched over the kunai holder strapped to my leg brushing my mother's kunai. That had been the day I had killed them that had been the moment I had become so angry I used the jutsu against them. All I had wanted was to be part of something, be important. I didn't want to be their lab rat. I wanted to live the life of a shinobi and Itachi had granted me my wish.

My hand moved to the photo in my pocket touching its comforting edge. It brought back memories of fighting practice, long hours of training, and those few short times when he touched me ever so briefly...

This distracted me making me wonder what he was doing now. If he was thinking about me too. He was probably waiting, like he always did, for me to report back. He was easy to count on for that. He would wait and he would be there to help if I needed it again, all to gain his power. Maybe one day he would do it just for... but that was a foolish thing to hope for. Itachi just wanted power nothing more. My fantasies could wander as far as they liked but it wouldn't be realistic. I was a tool nothing more to him, if I died he wouldn't even change face would just dismiss it and go on after more power. That was the reality even if I wished it wasn't.

He trusted me thought that was something he had asked me to do something for him that was both dangerous and intriguing. It was so natural to remember I felt I had literally fell back in time.

* * *

_I was sitting on a branch on the opposite side as Itachi, playing idly with my mother's kunai. Itachi was sitting on the branch around the other side that was just a little lower than mine putting his head level with mine. He was looking off into the distance at who knows what.  
"I heard what you did to your brother and Kakashi. Using the Tsukuyomi on them was pretty cruel even for you." my voice was colored with amusement because I knew how it felt to have that used against you.  
"Perhaps but it was necessary. Sasuke's rage is blind and he can not see a counter attack when it comes he needs Kakashi wasn't teaching him well enough."  
"Still it's hard to believe either of them thought they could beat you." I tossed the kunai up and caught it on the tip of my finger then flipped it catching it on the ring and started spinning it.  
"Sorin I need you to do something for me on your mission, " I stopped twirling the kunai and held it still to indicate I was listening, "My brother needs teaching and I think you would be very well suited for it."  
"What? Why would I be well suited to teach him? I can only use my element techniques thanks to my clan and those are way too much for the average shinobi to use. Even you have trouble with them."  
"Teach him what you think he can handle he can use chidori now it will not be long before he gets his mongekiyo sharingan. This will prepare him."  
"If you wish Itachi" I said his name with a little more tenderness than I had intended to allow._

Now I had to do what he asked of me.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

There must be some mistake it can't be. He wouldn't be here now. He wouldn't jeopardizes my mission. It made no sense why would _he_ be here when I had just gotten into the village. I had no information and he was standing in front of me looking so uncaring.

None of this made any sense! He looked too young, the lines where gone from his face his hair was short and messy. Itachi didn't wear the Uchiha clan's sign anymore and when did he go without his traditional fighting gear? A transformation jutsu? No he look too much like himself. Itachi would do it better.

Then he looked at me and his eyes were different, less merciless, full of ancient grief and an old hatred kept fresh by long hours of dwelling alone. They were too lonely and told the story of his life to the well trained eye. It all made sense now this wasn't Itachi at all this was his brother, Sasuke Uchiha. The family resemblance was striking.

I didn't let any emotion show on my face at all instead I deverted my attention to the other two members of my new squad. One was a pink haired girl with green eyes and the other was a blue eyed blond boy in orange. How perfect Naruto Uzumaki was on my new squad. This was far more than I had hoped for.

Allowing a look of boredom on my face I walked to the stump next to the pink haired one. I leaned against it concentrated on her a bit more, assessing her skill. She was not a very accomplished ninja, she had apparently good chakra control and had mastered the basics but as far as I could tell she had no real talent for any particular jutsu.

I moved my attention on to Sasuke he had the most potential of the three. He was strong from hours of training and his sharingan was just as far along as Itachi had told me. His Uchiha blood was strong and his resentment to Itachi was almost palpable. I'd thought as much especially after their last encounter.

I moved on to my main objective, Naruto. I didn't bothering to turn my head as he stared at me, confused. He had a considerable amount more skill than the girl and almost as much as Sasuke, though his came more from pigheadedness than anything else. I could just feel the hint of the nine tailed fox's chakra under the surface and decided I would have to test it, see it first hand.

"What are you looking at weakling?" I asked Naruto not turning to look at him.

"What did you just say?!"

"You heard me."

I looked up at the sky. Despite my leaving early I was an hour late. Kakashi still wasn't anywhere near us though. I was not unhappy that I had not kept them waiting but it was strange that he was not be here yet.

"Hey!" he shouted, "I'm going to be Hokage one day so-"

"Hokage? I really doubt that." I said amused. _You'll be dead before that._

"Why I outa-"

"Is he always this late?" I interrupted. It was almost two hours past the time we were supposed to meet

"Ya he does this every time." Sasuke answered in a this-is-so-normal-it's-boring tone. His voice was almost as enticing as Itachi's.

I felt him coming before the other three did but I expected as much from genin. Kakashi appeared in a whirl of leaves in front of us holding a book.

"Kakashi." Sasuke greeted with a tilt of his head.

"Hey guys, what's up?" He raised the hand that wasn't holding his make out paradise novel.

"Hey Kakashi who is this?!" Naruto demanded pointing at me.

With a look of slight impatience Kakashi said, "As I told you yesterday, Naruto, we have a new member of squad seven. This is Sorin Kagura. Sorin this is Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno, "He jerked his head in the direction of each as he said them.

"Huh?" Naruto turned a dumb face to me.

Kakashi sighed, "Why don't you introduce yourself Sorin."

"Alright I'm Sorin Kagura the last of the Kagura clan. I'm a traveling ninja and I came to the leaf village to offer my services." I replied uninterestedly.

"The last, what happened to the rest of your clan?" Sakura asked.

I let my eyes cloud with the sadness of my memories partly for effect. "They were all murdered." I whispered loud enough they all heard me.

They all reacted, Sasuke looking in my direction, Sakura giving a little gasp, and Naruto's expression turned to shock. Kakashi already knew my family history and didn't say a word.

"That's awful... it sounds almost like..." she looked at Sasuke hands clasped. I could when she looked at him that she cared about him with almost an obsession. It reminded me of how I felt for Itachi. Were my feelings as easy to see?

I looked at Sasuke, his expression had changed ever so slightly in the direction of surprise then to a small amount of anger. "Who did it?" he asked voice strained trying to control of his emotions.

"One of us and they suffer dearly for it." my voice was hard from the truth of it.

"How did you survive?" Sakura asked in a horrified whisper.

"My clan did an experimental jutsu when I was young and it worked," to Sasuke I added, "I heard the Uchiha clan met a similar fate."

Sasuke's jaw clenched, fists tightening. Then he seemed to realize that I was watching and wiped his face blank, relaxing his body but his eyes stayed alert. It was a familiar gesture that sent butterflies loose in my stomach.

"Ok we have a mission to complete." Kakashi brought our attention back to him.

"It had better be a good one this time Sensei I'm sick of all this little kid stuff." Naruto complained.

"It's nothing big, we just have to be decoys delivering some fake documents. Another squad is delivering the real ones but the Village Hidden in the Rain wanted to be sure that no one was after the real thing." Kakashi said uninterested turning a page in his book.

"Oh are they like important war documents or something that a band of highly skilled rouge ninja are after?" Naruto looked almost buoyant in his excitement.

"We can't be sure."

"ALRIGHT!! At last a cool mission!" Naruto continued on about being the greatest and no ninja would get to those documents but I tuned him out.

"Calm down Naruto it's not that big a deal." Kakashi said exasperated.

"I wonder what kind of rouge ninja we'll meet. They had better be a challenge cause I want to use my new cool technique to blow em away."

"Shut it loser. We'll only be decoys it's not like we're the ones delivering them." Sasuke told him. My hearing seemed to sharpen when he spoke.

_He's not Itachi. Remember the mission. He's not Itachi. _I told myself furiously.

"So, it's still better than what we've been doing lately." No one argued with that.

"Alright let's get going." Kakashi said and headed to the village gate.

* * *

We'd been going for nearly four hours and nothing interesting had happened except Naruto "falling" into a bush. I had actually gotten annoyed and tripped him. No one but Naruto seemed to care too much. It apparently wasn't too uncommon. He just wouldn't shut his mouth about finally having a mission that was remotely interesting and had a chance of danger.

"Did it have to be the Village hidden in the Rain." I muttered irritably as we rested at a turn in the path.

We hadn't been going long enough for a break in my opinion, but as I could go for three days on the run without stopping for anything I really couldn't expect a bunch of sheltered genin to keep up. I had an amazing amount of stamina and endurance from being in the Akatsuki and the terrible strain my jutsus put on my body. It shortened my life span but I didn't plan on living all too long anyway.

"Why do you have something against them?" Sakura asked.

"We had a bad run in a few years back. I refused to give them some information on the last village I had joined and let's just say it wasn't pretty. They use mostly genjutsu and the experimental jutsu placed on me by my clan doesn't allow me to use any jutsu besides my own. I still beat them senseless but it was one of the closest battle I've ever fought."

"But if you weren't with that village anymore why couldn't you tell them anything about it?"

"All my clan had a secrecy seal set on them when they made the decision to be shinobi," I flipped my left arm over to show them the swirling marks on my forearm. They all leaned in closer to take a better look. "As the seal remains we can never reveal anything about the village to anyone else. As the seals are almost impossible to break the secrets usually go with us to the grave." This was, in my case, only half true true. I could only tell Itachi the secrets of the villages, him being the one to have loosened the seal.

"Wow. How many villages have you been to anyway?" Sakura asked in aw.

"Hmm, let's see six I think. I stayed with the the Mist village for a year, the Rain village for six months, year and a half with the Sand village, almost a year with the Waterfall village, and most recently a year with the Hidden Stone village. Oh ya and a few weeks with the Sound before that. I didn't get along well with that Orochimaru. Talk about twisted." I made a noise of disgust at the last bit.

I'd spent time with the Sound village but only to see if Orochimaru was any danger to our cause. It had been my least favorite village to visit. With the insane experiments done daily and the irritating loyalty all his ninja showed him despite being mutilated and tortured by his own hand had made me sick.

Sakura shuddered at Orochimaru's name, Sasuke's hand twitched in the direction of his shoulder, Kakashi leaned forward more engaged, and Naruto looked at the ground with a darkly. I should have expected as much. Their village had been attacked by that freak after all.

"Come on let's get moving." I said being quite sick of sitting around. The others followed suite.

We traveled for another hour in which I thought hard about my mission. Naruto was right in front of me, Sasuke was off to my left, Sakura walking as close behind Sasuke as he allowed, and Kakashi was just behind us. This was a pretty good spot and I was able to overpower all of them easily.

I could grab Naruto and get out of there before the others knew what happened. But if I did that I would lose my cover and never get into another village. I could always lure Naruto off into the woods knock him out and go back yelling that we were attacked and Naruto was taken but they were already suspicious of me and that would only make it worse. Itachi wasn't too far from here if I could get them close he could take Naruto and use his sharingan on the others. But I had Sasuke with me and he would go for revenge again. Itachi had told me to help Sasuke train and not to lead him to Itachi until I was sure he could handle the fight. My only option was to wait.

Contemplating new tactics to get Naruto to the Akatsuki I noticed ninja lurking near us. I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed them before. Nine of them waiting for us to walk into their trap. They had been using something to cover their chakra so I didn't sense them. I stopped and so did Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi. Naruto hadn't even noticed he just kept on walking.

"Naruto, stop it's a trap!" I called urgently to him.

"What?!" he was only feet from it when he froze.

One jumped out of the trees going for Naruto yelling, "Let's take them." Two more leaped out after the first. Another six jumped out circling the four of us. We were surrounded.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The four of us pulled kunai and moved immediately into a defense position back to back as Naruto tryed to fight the other two off. They had Naruto on both sides gripping his arms trying to restrain him. He jerked around violently and managed to get one arm out and punch one of them. The man fell and Naruto made the hand sign for his signature shadow clone jutsu. Five clones appeared attacking to two men. They pulled kunai and started slashing at the clones.

I could feel Sakura shaking a little on my left and Sasuke tense on my right. His arm brushed mine sending an electric current threw me. I almost let my kunai drop trying to keep down a gasp and a sudden longing. _No stay focused._ I told myself angrily.

I looked around calculating. They had the upper hand here but not by much. I wouldn't mind being surrounded if it was only me or Itachi, this battle would be no problem, over in thirty seconds flat. However with these four with me I wouldn't be able to use my full power without hurting them. This would take a lot longer than I wanted it to. Although, this was the opportunity I had been hoping for. I could gather information on their fighting skills this way and not have to do a lot of work to get them to do it. Perfect.

The one closest to me lunged forward me, his kunai coming for my face. There was a clang of metal on metal as mine blocked his. He glared down at me and I smiled in spite of myself. This had become one of the easiest things in my very complex life. Fighting, it was all I'd been taught to do since a young age.

Behind me Sasuke kicked out at an attacker and I heard the sound of his foot connect. The guy stumbled doubling over, clutching his stomach. Sasuke was quick to move around him before he struck. He got up, dogged Sasuke's kick but caught a fist breaking his nose.

Sakura was blocking with a kunai like me. The guy said something about this being no problem at all and how ugly girls couldn't fight. That got under Sakura's skin. "What did you say?!" she shouted and punched him hard in the side of the head. He fell hard skidding a few feet and sat up rubbed the spot on his face where a large red area was appearing on it and had started to swell. She started kicking him demanding that he take back what he said. He cowered under her fury arms over his head to protect himself unable to get up under her blows.

Kakashi was getting ready to do a jutsu of some kind. The two ninja threw shurikin at him that hit him squarely from either side. He was suddenly a log and the guys were looking around frantically. He appeared behind them and knocked one out but the other one shoved a kunai backwards into him. Kakashi puffed into a cloud of smoke. The guy's eyes widened not expecting a clone. A hand came out of the ground and grabbed his leg pulling him into the earth too. Kakashi stood over the him now only a head sticking out of the ground.

A very large ninja came at me from behind with a heavy mace. He swung the spiked ball at me and I jumped landing several feet behind the the other one. The large one charged me swinging in all directions. I kept moving to stay out of range. The other one appeared behind me with the intent of slicing my head off. I brought my own kunai to meet his. The the man raised raised the mace over his head and brought it down in an ark. It seemed to come in slow motion a little at a time as the guy yelled.

I heard Kakashi shout something but didn't catch it. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura stopped and look in my direction. I spun around the ninja with the kunai before he saw what happened and the mace landed right where I was a split second before. I leaped from behind the other ninja as a large cloud of dust and rocks rose up from where the spiked chain ball had hit. I balanced on a tree limb just off the path. The ninja I had been standing behind threw up his hands to protect himself but was thrown back into a bush. The dust could cleared enough for me to see the other man standing there waiting to see if I had been crushed or not. His eyes widened at the empty crater at his feet. I darted behind him in the blink of an eye.

"Watch your back tubby." I muttered to him as I started making the hand signs for one of my less powerful jutsu, Element Imprisonment. A ring of fire surrounded him wrapping around him like a rope, air currents cut at him, water shooting down his throat stopping his breathing, and rock enclosed him bringing him down, crushing him.

Even threw the water you could hear his scream. It seemed to go on and on. I always covered their mouth so I didn't have to hear that. I hated it. But the scream kept going changing and blending into other screams. It kept getting louder, pleas and cries of hundreds of trapped souls all doomed. I shook my head trying to rid it of the sound and saw crouched near the bush doing a hand sign was the ninja that had been knocked into a tree. _Genjutsu!_ I thought panicked. He was swallowed up by the vision of flames and darkness all around me.

I knew I could not escape at this point. All thanks to my clan I couldn't even release a genjutsu let alone cast one. I couldn't move or draw chakra, a replacement was now beyond me and I couldn't get to my kunai. I tried to bite me lip but to no avail. I knew from long hours of training with Itachi that I just had to wait it out until he either ran out of chakra or someone took him out. _It can't be worse than tsukuyomi. _I assured myself.

The darkness at the edge of the flames shifted twisting and curling around itself like it was alive. Thankfully I wasn't scared of fire or the dark. The screaming was almost unbearable, just noise, confusion, and fear. I watched the flames flicker trying to keep my mind off the echoing sounds. The fire shift almost moving in my direction but always staying in a ring on the ground around me. Something floated over the spot I had been watching and was suddenly right in front of my face. If I hadn't seen worse I'd have thought it looked frightening. The body was long like a snake's and made of what looked like twisting shadows, red eyes glared at me and long teeth were bared at me like some horrible parody of a grin. The face was almost that of a dragon but there was something off about it. The face kept moving and shifting like it didn't know quite what to settle on. Then it turned in on itself and revealed a familiar face. It was my mother's face sitting grotesquely on the serpent's body.

She opened her mouth and the screams stopped abruptly. Then she spoke in a hundred tortured voices, "Sorin you have disgraced and murdered your clan. The one you hold dear cares nothing for you. You are doomed to wander the earth never to find your place among the dead or living. Your soul shall lie in torment for all eternity."

She lunged forward and my body jerked back. The screaming was inside my head echoing and reverberating. The rest of the long body was entering threw my open mouth and as it did the screams grew louder. I tried to draw breath but the thing wouldn't let me I could feel it inside me writhing and shifting. I wanted to cry out to Itachi to save me get me out of this but he wasn't there to here me. I could feel myself slipping away into the dark obis of death.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

I regained consciousness slowly, feeling dirt and rocks below me. I was pretty sure I wasn't dead, feeling was a characteristic of the living. I had collapsed, just wonderful. It looked like all that training with Itachi hadn't done much. I made a mental note to practice harder and insulate my mind better. The screams were still hanging in my head along with the words the strange thing had spoken. Could it be true or had the justu just messed with my head too much for me to be sure of anything?

I sensed people around me someone kneeling near me on one side, another bending over to look at me and behind them two standing, watching, waiting. I was too disoriented to tell who they were. _Great an audience. _I thought bitterly. I grabbed a handful of dirt and flung it at whoever was leaning over me. A yell and some stamping told me it was Naruto. He had caught the whole handful in his eyes I could hear him trying to rub it out. I heard an exasperated sigh from Kakashi. He was standing up. I opened my eyes and met a pair of dark almost black eyes. Sasuke was kneeling over me.

I got myself up on one arm not liking him watching me on the ground. I winced, my head was pounding. I groaned and held it with my other hand.

"What happened?" I asked no one in particular trying to keep my eyes averted from Sasuke.

"You got caught in a genjustu. We thought you might not make it." Sakura informed me in a serious and worried voice.

"I know that," did she have to point out the obvious now, "I mean how long was I out and where is that jerk. I have a bone to pick with him." Apparently satisfied that I was OK Sasuke got to his feet and I struggled up after him.

"You were out about a minutes after Sasuke released the genjutsu on you." Sakura answered.

I turned to Sasuke. He was standing there looking bored as always. "Thanks." I said formally. He shrugged looking so cool about it like he did that everyday.

"What the heck did you do that for!" Naruto demanded turning on me his eyes red from rubbing at the dirt.

"I couldn't tell who it was. I could have done a lot worse." I said uninterestedly.

"Hey I just took that guy out for you!"

"This is the part where I say thank you, right?" I smirked as his face reddened angrily.

Kakashi grabbed the back of his shirt as he made an attempt to get at me. "Calm down Naruto." he sounded quite bored of doing this.

I spotted the ninja we had been fighting earlier all tied up even the one I had nearly crushed to death. He had apparently escaped when I was in the genjutsu. My hands clenched into fists. _No one puts me into a genjutsu and gets away with it. _I thought angrily clenching my jaw.

Noticing where I was looking Kakashi said, "I've already called in for the village hidden in the Rain to come and get them. We'll travel another few miles today and continue tomorrow."

"Come on then let's get going." Sasuke said and set off toward along the path again. Everyone followed except me. I looked back at the guys who had attacked us. They were all knocked out and bound back to back. I pulled out a kunai and walked up to the one that put the genjustu on me. I cut my clan's sign into his exposed forehead and muttered, "If we ever meet again I'll kill you." I turned away from them and moved so fast no one noticed I hadn't been there, to the back of the group.

* * *

We traveled till the sun set then set up for the night. We got a fire going and cooked instant roman. Naruto started scarfing his down like he hadn't eaten in a year. I was on the opposite side of the fire looking into it absently occasionally taking a bite. Kakashi was on my left and Sakura on my right sitting close to Sasuke she could get.

"What was that jutsu you were doing earlier?" Sakura asked me curiously.

"Hmm? Oh that was just a basic Element Imprisonment. Well basic for me anyway." I answered absently not looking up.

"For you?"

"That's not the most advanced Elemental technique I know. If you had tried to do that you'd probably be unconscious for the next few days but I'm a special case."

"What do you mean?"

"The element style techniques are very difficult to execute. It makes the chakra network unstable and uses so much of it the average shinobi would more than likely be killed. Even Lady Tsunada would have trouble with it. Only the members of the Kagura clan were ever able to use it in battle and come out alive. " Kakashi answered for me.

Sasuke and Naruto paused. Naruto looked at Kakashi in amazement and said, "Even Grandma Tsunada?" Kakashi nodded.

"Well I've never heard of them before." Sakura replied.

"You wouldn't. It's been a banned form of jutsu since the death of the Kagura clan. But even before that it was only used among them. It one of the most dangerous forms of jutsu. How did you come to use it Sorin?" Kakashi asked casually.

I shrugged, "All the clan members where taught to use it. I'm not that special," I said it so natural to say it felt almost true even if it was a down right lie, "Nearly all of us were experimented on with a different jutsu to see if it could make our chakra stabler and our jutsu stronger. Some got so strong they could use the worst Element technique. The Element Devastation and that's what killed them. She lost herself in the jutsu and well you know the rest." That was true only it hadn't been just some random clan mate it had been me. There was still that tone of bitterness in my voice that I couldn't hide. It had been mostly my fault after all.

There was silence around the fire for a few minutes as everyone was lost in their own thoughts. Kakashi was giving me a look out of the corner of his eye, not quite pity thought that was there but more like he was wondering to believe me or not. How much did he know or suspect?

Sakura yawned and said, "Well I'm turning in. Night." She stood up stretching and walked off to set up her sleeping bag.

Naruto stood up after her with an excited look on his face maybe thinking he would get the spot next to her.

Kakashi stood up too, "We should all get some sleep tonight. We'll be traveling all day tomorrow."

"Fine." Sasuke said and we both stood up at the same time. He walked off one hand in his pocket looking extremely graceful as he did so. That was an Uchiha trait they all had great balance and beauty.

* * *

I couldn't sleep, as usual. The voice of the creature kept time in my head, the same thing over and over again. _The one you hold dear cares nothing for you. _Could it be true? Did Itachi not care about me? I rolled over onto my other side trying to get some sleep. The words kept time with my heartbeat and I couldn't silence them or my doubts. I rolled onto my back agitatedly and looked up at the stars.

It was a beautiful cloudless night and the full moon shone over me like it had decided to watch me suffer. I stood up unable to stand laying there and pretending I could get some sleep tonight. I slipped on my sandals and walked silently into the cover of the trees. It was quiet tonight except for the occasional breeze rustling the leaves overhead.

I wasn't absolutely sure where I planned to go or what I planned to do but my feet kept carrying me. The tree thinned ahead and the forest turned to cliff. I stepped up to the edge and looked down unafraid of the long drop. I was imagining what it would feel like to fall down the wind rushing at you and then the sudden blackness of death. It would be easy wonderful almost worth it.

Suddenly several things happened in very quick succession. I sensed someone behind me in the trees but before I could tell who it was there was a cracking of rock under my feet and then there was nothing under my feet and I was falling. I summoned my chakra to the bottom of my feet and the palm of my hands but the couldn't get hold of anything. Panic shot threw me as I thought wildly, _I can't die here like this._

A hand shot out of nowhere and caught my forearm, pulled me back up. We both fell to the wonderfully solid ground panting and I turned to look at my savior. Black hair shimmer in the moon light and angry dark eyes met mine. It was Sasuke.

"What were you doing that close to the edge? You almost got yourself killed." His voice was like steel and he was out of breath.

I deliberated the point my voice matching the anger in his, "What are you doing up so late following me anyway?" I was rather humiliated by being saved twice in one day by someone other than Itachi. Until now I had only ever been saved by him, I was normally strong enough to save myself. _What's with this guy anyway?_ I thought bitterly, _I don't need his help and why was he following me?_

He didn't say anything for a second. He glared down at my arm that he still had a firm grip on. He let go and we stood up at the same time glaring at each other.

"You didn't answer my question." I said in a more level voice.

"Hn neither did you." he replied.

I didn't know what to say to that. The longer I stood there the more tension seemed to build in the air and the more I wanted to stop looking at him. I couldn't avert my eyes though. I could feel something keeping both of us chained to the spot. I wanted to run to Itachi and get rid of this strange feeling and convince myself this was all just some weird dream brought on by lack of sleep.

For some reason just looking at him made me want to tell him the truth and that scared me more. I said it before I had really gotten time to decide if I wanted to say anything at all, "I couldn't sleep. Happy? So why were you following me?"

"I was going to get some training in and you had left." I blinked in surprise. How had I not seen or heard him? Was I losing it? A thousand questions ran threw my head. His expression had cleared and his face was back to normal. I was having trouble looking at him. He looked like a younger version of Itachi in almost every way, his hair was shorter and he didn't have the lines under his eyes but they had the same face and similar posture. I was stunned beyond the point of movement.

_You two look so much the same, how can you have chosen such different paths?_ I wondered to myself.

I felt very light headed in that second and I realized the back of my leg was coated in something wet. I looked down and there was a lot of blood. I must have cut myself when I fell. My legs wouldn't hold me up and things were going fuzzy at the edges. I started falling again and the grass was getting closer. Sasuke stepped forward and caught me before I hit the ground. I looked up at him as everything swayed and shifted. His face refocused and he was looking at the blood with tense eyes.

"Hold on I'll get Kakashi." He told me and tried to stand up but I grabbed his sleeve and muttered, "Wait don't go... I got it... no problem... I've had worse." My voice was going in and out along with my vision.

"You're losing too much blood. Do you want to die?" he asked me intensely.

I didn't answer and his face turned grave. I did several hand signs and summoned as much chakra as I could. Water and air gather around my hand as I pressed it to the wound. It was healing it but my strength was slipping away. I put more focus into it and summoned up earth and fire to help close the wound.

My chakra failed and I struggled to stay conscious. The gash was pretty much closed but it was still bleeding a little. I slumped against Sasuke suddenly very tired breathing hard. He was looking at the wound in amazement.

"What was that."

"Another of my clan's experimental jutsu, elemental healing. I didn't have enough chakra to finish it but it'll do." I replied breathlessly.

He reached into his pouch and pulled out a roll of bandages then proceeded to wrap them around my leg. I winced a little partially for effect and partly from his touch. The wound was stinging but not enough to hurt. I breathed in his scent. It was distinctly different from Itachi's, he did smell of woods but he also had a sweet scent I had never encountered before. His warmth was beginning to put me to sleep. He finished and I tried to stand up, my head was pounding and my legs wouldn't support my weight. That genjutsu must have drained more of my energy than I'd thought because I'd had worse injuries than that and could still run for days on end.

Sasuke grabbed my arm as I wobbled unsteadily. I gave him an annoyed look and said, "I can walk just fine on my own." I tried and failed to walk away from him ending up falling into him anyway.

"You don't look like it." he put an arm around me to help me stay upright.

"Fine." I said resignedly and let him lead me back in the direction of camp as I though bitterly to myself, _Having a very productive day aren't I? First I get ambushed, then I get caught in a genjutsu, fall off a cliff, nearly bleed to death, and have to rescued twice by Sasuke Uchiha. This is one for the books._

The sound of someone shouting ahead caught my attention, "Sasuke. Sasuke where are you?"

"Great it's Sakura." I said annoyed.

She was crashing around and making a huge racket up ahead coming this way. _Another person to see me being weak. Well at least it's not Naruto._ I thought exasperated.

Sasuke sighed sounding just as annoyed as I felt. She was making more noise than was really necessary and it was making my head pound. "Sasuke." she called again.

"Is she always this obsessed." I asked him frowning. He nodded his head once and stopped walking. I looked at him questioningly. I could tell all she needed to do was get around that tree and she would be within sight range of us.

Sasuke quickly shifted his weight and pulled me with him behind a tree to our left. "What the-" he covered my mouth his hand and stood looking around the tree. Sakura came into view and Sasuke shifted back so we were out of sight.

"Where could he have gone off to?" She sounded disappointed. She looked around one more time and kept going. I didn't dare to breath._ What a pest no wonder he was hiding form her._ I thought feeling a twinge of pity for him.

We stood there for a minute listening to her noisy progress. I realized how close Sasuke and I were. My back was pressed against his chest and I could feel his heart beating. Sasuke removed his hand and we both breathed normally again. I leaned my head on his shoulder trying to stay wake, it felt right somehow which scared me. He didn't move at all.

"What was that about?" I asked him almost too drained to move.

"She does this every time." I looked up at him, he was frowning, "Come on Naruto will be here soon looking for her."

We extracted ourselves from the tree and continued at a slow pace. Several questions crossed my mind simultaneously. _Why on Earth is he helping me? Why didn't he just leave me at the cliff after he saved me? Why can't Sakura take a hint? Why would Naruto come to look for Sakura? What the heck is wrong with these genin?_

I was so tired I couldn't think straight anymore. Finally we reached camp. Sasuke seemed to be right, Naruto and Sakura were gone but Kakashi seeming too use to this behavior to care and still appeared to be sleeping. Sasuke led me over to my sleeping bag and I fell onto it and looked up at the sky for a second wishing I was back in Sasuke's arms. I reminding myself that this was the boy that had sworn his life to kill Itachi and thinking like that was not what I should be doing.

I turned my head to Sasuke who had started to walk away and said loud enough for him to hear, "Thank you Sasuke." He paused for a second then he said over his shoulder, "Don't expect me to this all the time."

"Ha. You won't need to." He walked back into the forest probably to retrieve Sakura and Naruto. I looked back at the sky then down at my leg wrapped in bandages. So strange, I had never really had anyone help me apart from Itachi. I smiled a little, it was nice. A little voice was whispering in my ear that it was not good to make ties and I should concentrate on the mission but for a second I almost felt happy. _If I were Itachi I wouldn't have left. _That was my last thought before I fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

We arrived about midday and delivered the fake papers at the gate of the Rain village. One of the ninja who came to get then was one of the ones I had defeated. He didn't give me a very warm welcome to say the least. He shouted like a maniac that I was a killer and I was not to be trusted. True enough but that didn't mean I didn't give him the old your-such-a-pathetic-ninja look. He had to be held back and hauled into the village. The last word I heard from him was that I was a monster that should be put down before I destroyed everyone. That bothered me a bit but I shrugged it off as we began our slow journey headed back.

This time Sasuke and Kakashi were leading the group, Sakura and Naruto were bringing up the rear arguing and I was stuck in the middle. I supposed that Kakashi had told Naruto to keep a close watch on me because he was looking at me a lot with his annoying seriousness of being on a mission. Sakura had apparently been told to do so also but she wasn't as willing. Clearly she had hoped to do this with Sasuke and was looking downcast. It made me wonder whether Sasuke had said something to her last night or not. Naruto was, of course, ecstatic that Sakura was walking beside him and was talking, a lot. It was just getting on my nerves when Sakura turns on him and lets out a little of her fury on the blond.

She punched him hard and asked angrily while he was rubbing his sore cheek, "Can't you be quiet for two minutes Naruto?! You are so annoying!" We all stopped to watch and wait for them. Kakashi and Sasuke were acting like this happened all the time. I was having some trouble looking at Sasuke even from the corner of my eye. Just sensing him there was making me jumpy and I wished that I could just be free to jump through the trees and head far from here. I focused my attention more on the angry Sakura and pained Naruto.

Sasuke had already turned and was continuing on. Kakashi followed suit as Sakura started walking again. Naruto followed her and I started again myself.

"What's your problem Sakura?" Naruto asked still rubbing his red cheek.

She looked sad and longingly at Sasuke's back but didn't say anything. That left no doubt in my mind he had talked to her last night. I looked in their direction as well and became aware for the first time that they were several yards from the three of us. It took me a few seconds to realize they were talking to each other.

I strained and heard Kakashi say, "You have to be more careful. We don't know anything about her yet."

"What are you saying I should have left her to die?"

"No it's just that there's something she isn't telling us and you shouldn't be getting close to her."

"You're too paranoid Kakashi. I helped her big deal."

"I'm not blind Sasuke. I can see what's happening. Just don't let your guard down."

"Ya whatever."

"Hey Kakashi-sensei I'm hungry how long till we get back to the village?" Naruto asked loudly in a moody tone.

Kakashi looked over his shoulder, "We're almost there just another few hours."

Naruto grumbled moodily and Sakura told him to stop complaining and move faster. I was only half listening most of my attention was focused on Kakashi and Sasuke but they didn't speak again. _What was that about?_ I wondered replaying the conversation in my head again.

Kakashi obviously didn't trust me that was a given. Which also meant that the village didn't trust me either but that was easy to change. What puzzled me that most was what Kakashi said about seeing what was happening. What on earth could he mean by that?

* * *

We arrived back in the village just as the sun was falling in the west and the sky turned a hundred shades of red. We reported to the Hokage and were finally allowed to go.

"Tomorrow we meet at the training grounds at nine." Kakashi informed us.

Sakura and Naruto groaned. "More like noon." muttered Naruto as we all headed down the road away from Kakashi.

"Hey Sasuke, do you want to go to dinner with me?" Sakura asked eagerly. _Annoying fan girl. _I thought irritably.

"No." Sasuke answered uninterested.

"Oh ok maybe some other time?" she asked halfheartedly.

"I'll go with you Sakura!" Naruto volunteered.

"Quiet you!" she said in a deathly dangerous voice and watched Sasuke walk away around the next bend.

_It sounds almost rehearsed. Eager fan girl gets rejected by uninterested Uchiha and in turn rejects obsessed puppy dog. How romantic._ I thought dryly.

I walked on toward my new place and was not long after being followed. They weren't being very stealthy about it.

I paused for a second and looked over my shoulder as I turned a corner, "You know if you're going to follow me you might want to put a little more effort into it." I said and heard Naruto mutter something.

I turned and crossed my arms watching him come out from behind some camouflage sheet that looked like the wood fencing behind him.

_An excellent opportunity. Now I don't have to stalk after him to find out where he lives._ I thought triumphantly.

"So where did Gramma Tsunade put you?" he asked still sounding a little sore from being found.

"Over here." I said pointing to my building, "Where are you?"

Naruto pointed to the second floor of a red building on our right.

"So why were you following me?" I asked not bothering to look at the blond.

"Huh? Oh it was nothing just some training I was doing." he replied too fast and too casually.

_Bad liar terrible, hot headed, loud mouth, Are they sure we have the right guy?_ I knew we did but for the life of me I couldn't think why anyone would want to capture this pain in the neck. Still it was my mission and from my stand point it wouldn't be too hard to do.

"Well you should train harder then. I really hope that wasn't your best." I said bluntly trying to get a rise out of him.

It worked, I'd wounded his pride. "It wasn't I was just not really trying that hard." he said defensively.

"Hm, well if you feel up to really trying I like a challenge. Not that I really expect that you would be but I like surprises too." I said that mostly in good humor to keep him interested in me enough so I didn't always have to look for him. _Not that that would be hard,_ I thought, _With that orange getup you can see him coming miles away._

He glared at me not sure what to make of that. I smirked, it was fun toying with this idiot.

"I guess I'll see you at the training grounds then." I said.

"Ya I'll be coming late. I've got a special mission to do." Naruto replied giving me a mischievous grin.

"Do I want to know?" I asked rasing an eyebrow at him.

He giggled a bit and lower his voice dramatically, "I'm going to follow Kakashi-sensei and see why he's always late."

I burst into laughter at that. "You actually think **you **can follow a jonin unnoticed? That's the best one I've heard in a long time." I said when my laughter had subsided some.

"What you don't think I can do it?"

"No but I wish you the best of luck." I said and turned the corner leaving him glaring after me.

I kept coming up with images of Naruto making a complete fool out of himself, coming to the training grounds, and Kakashi telling him that he needed work on his stealth. I was just thinking that maybe I should tail him tomorrow so I didn't miss any of the action when I noticed that I had yet another tail.

This one was being a lot better about hiding themselves though. Had I not been trained to recognize it I wouldn't have noticed someone was following me. I could tell it was a skilled ninja but beyond that I couldn't tell anything else about them. Then I realized there wasn't one but two following me. I focused on them as I walked but they were very good about keeping hidden.

Just before I entered my building I felt them drop their guard for a second. One was Kakashi and the other was older and significantly larger and more skilled. That must be Jiraiya. I had been told about him. He was one of the legendary Sanin and he was very powerful. It was dangerous for even me to fight him and being an Akatsuki member I was in a lot of danger being around him. Pretending as always that I was a clueless genin with no knowledge of either of them I walked casually to my room.

* * *

I sat on my bed looking again at my supply of weapons laid out before me. I had abandoned the idea of sleep after a few minutes of trying. Those two were watching me closely and I didn't feel like sleep anyway. I had slept last night surprisingly peacefully. I didn't need nightmares tonight anyway.

I had done very little in the time between then and now. I had taken Sasuke's bandages off to finish healing my cut, looked threw my small pile of possessions, and cleaned my weaponry. All that had taken me only a few hours and now it was only around eleven.

Kakashi and Jiraiya had been watching me the entire time which I found a little irritating. Being watched and sitting around didn't do well with me but I was patient. Sometimes I could hear their conversations. They had so far talked about, any motives I might have for being in the leaf village, who I could be working for, and why I didn't clean the bloodstained Kunai.

I picked my mother's Kunai and examined it as I had a hundred times. I could tell my blood from her blood easily. Mine was newer and still glistened somewhat, her's was stained permanently into the metal and had a slightly faded look. I ran it's sharp edge along my palm just for the satisfying feeling of my blood being spilled by the very thing that had killed her.

"In due time mother, in due time." I muttered not realizing until I said it that they heard me.

"What do you think she meant by that?" Kakashi asked Jiraiya.

"I'm not sure."

"Do you think we should tell the Hokage about this?"

"Not until we know what it means."

_They really don't trust me. __Not that I really expected anything more. Maybe it is time to call in the cavalry. _I thought smirking to myself as I clutched my hand around the cut.

I put the weapons away in their respective pouches. I walked to the window and leaped out onto the roof and looked up at the moon hanging above me knowing Itachi was doing the same. I ran along jumping roof to roof heading for the training grounds. I could only go half my normal speed with those two following me but I wouldn't need to for long.

* * *

I leaped along the trees as fast as I could relishing the speed I had been suppressing. It would take the average shinobi days to get to Itachi but it only took me a few hours. The Kagura clan had amazing physical abilities from having to cope with our jutsu' effect and it transfers into amazing taijutsu that helps make up for our lack of genjutsu.

It was almost child's play getting out of the village. I had summoned several element clones and had a practice fighting with them and slipped out unnoticed. Kakashi and Jiraiya were undoubtedly still watching them.

I finally reached the spot Itachi had said he would meet me. He was there standing at the top of a small hill outlined by the moon light. As I knew he would be he was looking up at the moon. I paused at the bottom of the hill stunned by the way the moonlight hit him. It made him lookso amazing like he was actually soaking in the moonlight. Unbidden the image of Sasuke in the moonlight came to my mind. I shook myself and walked up to him.

I knew he knew I was there but he didn't look at me until I was a few feet away and asked, "What brings you here so soon Sorin?"

It was good to hear his vioce again, it erased all thoughts of Sasuke from my mind. I had a little trouble looking at him but didn't waver my gaze.

"As you thought they don't trust me. I didn't expect them to but Jiraiya has begun to tail me along with Kakashi."

Itachi closed his eyes, "Kisame and I will attack the south wall at noon. You know what to do."

"Yes. Noon then."

I was about to start heading back when Itachi asked, "Have you seen Sasuke yet?"

"Yes I have been placed on his team." I said looking curiously at Itachi.

He nodded and gave me a look that made me feel like I was being searched. "Go then."

I left glancing behind me when I reached the trees. Itachi was still standing there but now he had a different look like something was troubling him. If I didn't know his face so well I wouldn't know the difference. _What do you think about Itachi?_


End file.
